Mixed lighting setup

WintersBones · Mar 13, 2020

Still a beginner. So over the past couple of grows ive been adding lights as i can afford it. Started with just some T5s, then added a 200w CFL, now looking to upgrade to LEDs. Is it ok to mix the different light sources? More light is better right? Any potential downsides to this, or advantage to sticking with only LED going forward for example? Currently starting a few autos if that matters. Cheers

Johiem · Mar 13, 2020

Be careful with the advertised watt rating. They are cumulative and misleading. I'm learning myself that lights are an investment. Cheap ones=smaller harvest. Generally people are learning toward cmh lights. Cheapest of those I've found is 130.00us. I can't afford them myself... yet. I'm running with 2 "600 watt" led panels, they pull about 400 watts from the wall and a Vadlerlife "1000 watt", it pulls about 200 watts from the wall, giving around 600 watt draw total in a 4x3x6 tent. One single cmh would have had me covered, but i can't seem to save enough.

Mak'er Grow · Mar 13, 2020

Mixing lights is usually fine. Just make sure to use proper sized/rated electrical cords and don't overload the circuit their plugged into.

WintersBones · Mar 13, 2020

Mak'er Grow said:
Mixing lights is usually fine. Just make sure to use proper sized/rated electrical cords and don't overload the circuit their plugged into.

Thanks. Yes I'm keeping an eye on the draw. Only pulling about 800W from the wall altogether at this point.

WintersBones · Mar 13, 2020

Johiem said:
Be careful with the advertised watt rating. They are cumulative and misleading. I'm learning myself that lights are an investment. Cheap ones=smaller harvest. Generally people are learning toward cmh lights. Cheapest of those I've found is 130.00us. I can't afford them myself... yet. I'm running with 2 "600 watt" led panels, they pull about 400 watts from the wall and a Vadlerlife "1000 watt", it pulls about 200 watts from the wall, giving around 600 watt draw total in a 4x3x6 tent. One single cmh would have had me covered, but i can't seem to save enough.

Ya the two LEDs only draw 200W each, and the CFL and T5s bring it up to around 800w altogether. Will upgrade to something more professional down the road when i can afford it.

ebcrew · Mar 13, 2020

From my experience when you add up all the money you spent on t5 fixture and bulbs, CFLs, and the LEDs you probably could have gotten a decent LED for not much more. HLG 135 only about 150 what did u spend on all those lights

locario · Mar 15, 2020

I bought some cheap leds (10 usd shipping included) from china, and they are working marbels in veg! this plant is about 26 days oldfrom seed in
DWC, i toped it 2 days ago. the onlything i would do to the lamp is add a heatsink, when flower comes I will put a Cree CXB3590, but i wannt to also see how these cheap leds would do in flowering, but not yet, as i dont have where to.

Mixed lighting setup

WintersBones

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Johiem

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Mak'er Grow

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WintersBones

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WintersBones

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ebcrew

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locario

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